Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The large offices and central workshops of the Compagnie des mines de Vicône-Noeux-Drocourt were built in Nœux-les-Mines in the 2nd half of the 19th century, in connection with the exploitation of pit number 1 (known as Adrien Aubé de Bracquemont), opened in 1851. These buildings, organised around a backyard, housed management and technical workshops, reflecting the industrial innovation of the time. They were changed between the two wars, with the addition of an Art Deco wing to the west pavilion.

The mining company, a pioneer in coal mining, developed around the pit of the workers' towns, a Sainte-Barbe church (1890), a central pharmacy (1927), and a cooperative for miners. This infrastructure, which was listed as a historical monument in 2009-2010, reflects the social and economic organization of the mining basin. The site, converted to an industrial zone after the closure of the pit in 1968, now retains emblematic remains such as the entrance gate and workshops.

The No.1 pit was a technological model: the first well of 4 meters diameter (instead of 3), equipped with a two-cylinder extraction machine and an innovative ventilation system. Its record production (537,050 hectolitres in 1853-54) marked the beginning of the coal industrial era in the region. The no.36, wooded today, and preserved buildings recall this history, while a museum of the nearby mine perpetuates its memory.

The 1946 nationalization became part of the Bethune Group, before the final closure in 1968. The facades of the large offices, workshops, the cooperative, and the pharmacy, protected since 2009-2010, illustrate the architectural and social heritage of the Houillères. The site, still privately owned, is the subject of reflections for its future development.

External links